This listening exercise is about a woman talking about a journey her family makes. This is a multiple-choice listening exercise for Part 4 of the B1 Preliminary Listening Test. This gives you practice before you take the Cambridge English B1 Preliminary exam.
B1 Preliminary Listening Test Part 4 – Talking about a Journey
You will hear a woman, Vanessa, talking about a journey she made with her husband, Robert, and her baby, Ben.
Interviewer: Good evening Vanessa. You’re going to tell us about your journey. Where was it from and to?
Vanessa: Well, my husband, Robert, and I had worked in Hong Kong for years. We got married there six years ago and had a baby there. But last year, we gave up our jobs and decided to sail back to England, with the baby.
Interviewer: And how long did it take you to get ready for the trip?
Vanessa: We had six months to buy a boat and make sure we had everything we needed. My friends didn’t believe I could live in such a small space, but I was happy about that. I was most anxious about
our health, particularly the baby, and I started collecting medicines in case we needed them.
Interviewer: And your first stop was Singapore?
Vanessa: Yes. The first part of the journey was the worst – we were sick all the time. I hadn’t expected to hit bad weather so soon. We’d no worries about the boat, which had already been around the world once. In fact, when we reached Singapore, I wasn’t sure about spending six more months on the boat and I considered flying home to England, but luckily decided not to. We spent six long boring weeks in Singapore waiting for the weather to improve.
Interviewer: And you were joined by your father-in-law?
Vanessa: On the next part of the journey, my father-in-law joined us with a friend of his, who’s a cook. It was wonderful to have a cook to prepare meals. This gave Robert and me more time. My father-in-law was very happy to take care of the baby while we sailed the boat.
Interviewer: And did the baby enjoy the trip?
Vanessa: He did, I think. He loved climbing up the steps in the boat. He spent the first year of his life at sea. While he was awake we played with him because it was dangerous to leave him alone. I’m sure this is why he wants us to play with him all the time now. I worried that he wouldn’t learn to walk, but he had no problems. He’ll only eat particular foods, but all children are like that, whether they’ve been on a boat or not.
Interviewer: And do you have any advice for other people sailing with children?
Vanessa: Children are happy on long journeys as long as they have plenty to do onboard. It’s dangerous otherwise. We just had one child with us, but it might be better with two or three who can play together.
Interviewer: Well, has anyone got any questions?
Part 3 - Gap-Filled Exercise
Part 4 - Multiple Choice Exercise
The B1 Preliminary Speaking test has four parts and you take it together with another candidate. There are two examiners. One of the examiners talks to you and the other examiner listens.
Part 1 - Read five real-world notices, messages and other short texts for the main message.
- Notices and Messages How to Video
- Notices and Messages Set 1
- Notices and Messages Set 2
- Notices and Messages Set 3
- Notices and Messages Set 4
- Notices and Messages Set 5
- Notices and Messages Set 6
- Notices and Messages Set 7
- Notices and Messages Set 8
Part 2 - Match five descriptions of people to eight short texts on a particular topic, showing detailed comprehension.
Part 3 - Read a longer text for detailed comprehension, gist, inference and global meaning, as well as writer’s attitude and opinion.
Part 4 - Read a longer text from which five sentences have been removed. Show understanding of how a coherent and well-structured text is formed.
Part 5 - Read a shorter text and choose the correct vocabulary items to complete gaps.
- Bagpipes
- Book Recommendation
- Mountain Climbing
- Playing Computer Games
- Popular Website
- Saving a Tree
- Single or Mixed-gender Schools
- Work of Art
Part 6 - Read a shorter text and complete six gaps using one word for each gap.
Write about 100 words, answering the email and notes provided.
Write about 100 words, either an article or story.
Articles
Short Stories
- Air Travel Crossword
- Computer Crossword
- Crime Crossword
- Entertainment Crossword
- Financial Language Crossword
- Food Crossword
- Health Crossword
- Home Crossword
- Language Crossword
- Leisure Crossword
- Money Crossword
- Natural World Crossword
- Places Crossword
- Shopping Crossword
- Sports Crossword
- Technology Crossword
- Texting Crossword
- Time Crossword
- Transport Crossword
- Travel Crossword
- Work and Jobs Crossword
- Adjectives with -ing Word Search
- Art Word Search
- Bonfire Night Word Search
- Buildings Word Search
- Classical Music Word Search
- Countryside Word Search
- Drama Word Search
- Education Word Search
- Entertainment Word Search
- Fast Food Word Search
- Feelings Word Search
- Food and Drink Word Search
- Football Word Search
- Gambling Word Search
- Haunted House Word Search
- Health Word Search
- Home Word Search
- Internet Word Search
- Language Word Search
- Leisure Word Search
- Natural World Word Search
- Shopping Word Search
- Sports Facilities Word Search
- Sports Word Search
- Sushi Word Search
- Technology Word Search
- Time Word Search
- Town and City Word Search
- Travel Word Search
- Weather Word Search
- Work Word Search
- Clothes Word Puzzle
- Color Word Puzzle
- Communication Word Puzzle
- Easter Word Puzzle
- Education Word Puzzle
- Entertainment Word Puzzle
- Environment Word Puzzle
- Food Word Puzzle
- Health Word Puzzle
- Hobbies Word Puzzle
- Language Word Puzzle
- Medicine Word Puzzle
- Natural World Word Puzzle
- Technology Word Puzzle
- Time Word Puzzle
- Weather Word Puzzle
- Air Travel Exercises
- Animals and Pets
- British and American English
- Chinese New Year
- Christmas
- Clothing
- Computer Exercises
- Easter (A2 – B1 Levels)
- Education
- Entertainment
- Environment
- Environmental Issues
- Finance Exercises
- Food and Drink
- Leisure and Hobbies
- Money Exercises
- Phoning and Texting Exercises
- Places and Buildings
- Relationships
- Transport and Travel
- Work and Jobs
- Email – Borrowing
- Short Story – Computer Problems
- Report – Eating out in Berlin
- Email – Computer Games
- Article – The Cardboard Bike
- Email – Subject Choices
- Article – The Countryside
- Email – Party Invitation
- Email – Holiday Plans
- Email – Barbecue Invitation
- Letter – Most Important Time
- Movie Review – Ted
- Article – Schools for Boys and Girls
- Short Story – Art Competition
- Email – Holiday in Thailand
- Email – Saving Energy
- Blog Post – A New Life in Japan
- News Report – Bank Robbery
- Email – Visiting a relative
- Report – Features of Glaciers
- Email – Favourite Film
- Email – School Holidays
- Email – about University
- Email – New School
- Speech – Course Introduction
- Article – Work of Art
- Article – Being Famous
- Short Story – In Free Fall
- Short Story – The Angel
- Book Review – The Call
- Email – Summer School
- Short Story – Talent Contest
Cambridge English exams are designed for learners at all levels from the pre-intermediate level Cambridge English: Key (KET) to the very advanced level Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE). These exams give candidates proof of their ability to use English in a wide variety of contexts, relevant to work, study and leisure activities.